TB-44110b
TB-44110b (also unofficially known as 'Icicle') is the designation of the second planet in the TB-44110 system. It was considered a well out of the way planet that could support Human life, if only barely. The planet though hosts a plethora of unique life forms that distinguish themselves from Terran animals. TB-44110b's remoteness is not undeserved. The planet is chilly due to its position in the star system with its neighbor being a scorching hot desert planet. It was believed that TB-44110b may have been a warmer world in the past, but some time in the mists of ancient times, a large gravitational force, possibly either a rogue planet or impact event may have knocked the planet out of its original orbit, sending it into its colder position. The Human population of the planet is extremely small, numbering close to 20,000 individuals huddling around the mid-latitudes close to the equator in close-knit communities. Planetary Description TB-44110b is a planet that is roughly the same age as Earth, meaning that it was formed some time around 4.6 billion years ago. The solar system in which it formed in seems rather bare considering that for a star the size of TB-44110, its accompanying planets seem rather small or lonely. A possible explanation for this may have been that billions of years ago during the distant past of the system, a large mass object or several large massed objects passed through the system, stealing the planetary materials that would have been used for further planet formation. The remaining blobs coelested into TB-44110a and b. Beyond the planet though by a factor of another astronomical unit, a massive debris field circles the star, indicating that perhaps the planets could not form by this time due to lack of gravitational forces acting on the dust and rock. TB-44110b has a much more recent and perhaps much more interesting story to tell. The planet has an extremely eccentric orbit of 25 degrees above the solar plane and an elongated orbit that puts it below the debris field. Scientists theorize that during the chaotic period of the system's past, TB-44110b suffered either an impact event of significant size or perhaps a gravitational nudge or pull that yanked it from its original orbital position and into a newer, much more hostile one. As a result of this, the planet has a very lopsided seasonal cycle. While seasons do exist on the planet, they are very uneven in their distribution. The planet has a revolution period of close to five years and a day length of approximately 17.23 hours, but may have been longer in the past. The summer of the planet lasts approximately 9 months where the planet orbits slightly closer than Earth, but after the warm period is over, TB-4110b begins its long voyage to Periapsis. Temperatures start dropping rapidly, but are still livable, hitting an autumn-like range of temperatures. The inhabitants of the planet refer to this as 'Frost'. After this, winter comes, and lasts for three years of the five year orbit. Temperatures plummet to almost under a hundred degrees average, making the general planet as cold as Antarctica, but the arctic circle upwards can reach temperatures of about -150 C. When the planet reaches the furthest point in its orbit, the inhabitants of the planet refer to this as 'Deep Winter'. The surface is iced and scoured, growing only marginally warmer. Creatures migrate to the equator to escape the bitter cold. TB-441110b has two moons, one being approximately half the size of the moon, possibly being a captured wandering dwarf planet. It has a very thin atmosphere of methane that barely is held by its gravity. This moon is simply referred to as the Moon by Icicle's inhabitants. The second moon is even smaller, almost certainly a captured asteroid that was snagged in TB-44110b's gravitational pull. It measures only 140 kilometers from end to end and is pockmarked by meteorite impacts, a testament to its brutal history. This tiny bean-shaped rock is referred to as 'Raisin'. TB-44110b also sports a ring, which may suggest that it may have possessed a third moon at one point in time. Going off of established models, this moon may have drifted too close to the planet, entered the Roche Limit of its parent, and was torn apart. Either that, or the planet suffered an additional impact event in its life where a body slammed into it close to the equator and tore a chunk out of the planet. The ring is rather small, and is expected to last only about ten thousand more years. It has a breathable atmosphere of Nitrogen and Oxygen, but a five percent Xenon content with Argon only making up a paltry .5% of atmosphere. In addition to its air, Icicle has an abundant and rather powerful magnetic field, as can be evidenced by its coronae close to the poles. This means that its core is stil molten, though volcanoes are rather rare on the planet. However, earthquakes tend to occur one every few months in low magnitudes, many times only hitting 2 or 3 on the Richter Scale. List of Appearances *Journal of Sally Acorn (First Appearance) Category:Planet Category:Locations